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February 2008
Posts: 16
Location: Winchester, Kentucky | Hey, Y'all. I am searching for my first guitar (better late than never). I have done quite a bit of research and have decided to go with an Ovation. I admittedly know absolutely nothing about guitars. I have noticed that choices available to a lefty like me are limited. I realy like the looks of the multi-hole designs but I don't care for the black celebrity deluxe model and don't want to pay the $1500 for the L778 in black cherry, as I am just a beginner. Does it effect the sound if you string a right-handed multi-hole guitar backwards? With or without cutout? Does it effect a single hole guitar? Should I just settle for a lefty that I'm not really crazy about? I appologize in for my ignorance, and thank you in advance for any advice. |
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November 2006
Posts: 2241
Location: Simpsonville, SC | Welcome shelly....lots of experts (I am not one) here...be patient and many will respond. Stick around and have some fun.
A nice used Lefty "O" would be the best choice and save you some bucks.
Good luck on your new quest...it is better late than never! :D ;)
Jim |
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February 2008
Posts: 16
Location: Winchester, Kentucky | Thank for your welcome BegginJIM! I look forward to it. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | We have other lefties here. I know they've complained about the selection. I don't think you want to just restring. The bridge is angled, so the pickup will be, too, and that will make your intonation off. The nut is cut for a righty, so the low strings won't fit down into the slots.
You might check for some used lefties. Since the market isn't so strong for lefties, there seem to be some deals in the used markets. |
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February 2008
Posts: 16
Location: Winchester, Kentucky | That's more than fine with me. Where are some good places to find them? I live in a small town in Ky and there's not much around locally, especially for lefties. Are there any used guitar sites online? |
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March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | Oh, oh. I started down this path a couple years ago with my Matrix and an Applause 12 string. Now look. Check with Al of Lost Art Vintage first to see what he has or might be able to find for you.
I check ebay Ovations most every day. Don't do what I did and start bidding without knowing what it's all about. You might check the completed listings and search for left or lefthand to get a sense for the market. |
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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | A quick eBay search only yields this 1114 Acoustic only today...
It looks like a nice guitar if you can get it for cheap. Less than a day to go...
The Lady-Desk-Clerk in the building I live in went looking for a Left-handed acoustic guitar for her Ol' Man for a Christmas/Birthday present... And she was asking me about restringing a rightie to a leftie... Cuz they had done that to a coupla electrics.
As I told her, it is a whole lot easier to restring a LP or Strat style guitar than an acoustic, because of the adjustable bridge.
She lucked-out when she found Five left-handers in one store... (outta about a hunnert guitars!)
Anyway, Welcome Shelly...
And this is the best place to start your search. :cool: |
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February 2008
Posts: 16
Location: Winchester, Kentucky | I've paid my ebay stupid tax before, too. Ha, ha. Advice well given. I'll check with Al first thing. Thanks. |
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February 2008
Posts: 16
Location: Winchester, Kentucky | Thanks Arthur. I was so excited when I stumbled upon this site. I read quite a lot of it before posting and knew this was THE ground zero for me. |
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February 2008
Posts: 747
| Originally posted by Old Man Arthur:
A quick eBay search only yields this 1114 Acoustic only today...
It looks like a nice guitar if you can get it for cheap.
With the prices for good used Ovations being so low and the quality of the instruments so high I'm starting to get dumb ideas about collecting guitars even though I just need one or two.
Question for the cognoscente:
The ad seems to say that the guitar is 1967-1968 but the picture below shows what appear to be sliders on the electronics. Is that correct for a guitar of that age?
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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Don't know Joe...
But those ain't Ovation electronics!
Might be fishman, might be washburn, but they ain't OP! |
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Posts: 747
| Originally posted by Old Man Arthur:
Don't know Joe...
But those ain't Ovation electronics!
Might be fishman, might be washburn, but they ain't OP! Thanks. That's the answer then.
I didn't think they had anything like that back then - volume control and that was about it..lol
Still a nice guitar though; I'd almost buy that and have it refitted for right hand. |
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June 2006
Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | Welcome Shelly! That is a great guitar, and for under 400.00 it would be a good buy too. Plus, he gives a 7 day return. Those electronics were definitely added afterward. Think I've seen the slanted sliders on a celeb before, but not sure thats what they are. Besides, if it had the original electronics, (stacked tone and volume) it'd be a 1614. With a nut width of 1 7/8" it makes it very easy to play for people with large hands, and a slot head is, IMHO, more desirable than a solid headstock. |
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October 2007
Posts: 2711
Location: Vernon CT | Welcome Shelly! This group is very knowledgeable
(Not me though, I pretend) and have helped me a few times with good advice. Good luck with your search. |
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January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | As suggested before, I would recommend starting with something that is used and better quality over something that, for like money, is new but lesser quality. Guitars get better with age when played. Many of the members on this website are here for the long term and can be trusted. We do a lot of business with one another and continuing relationships are important. In addition, Al (Lost Art Vintage) buys and sells used gear for a living, as well as new, and specializes in the Ovation and higher end Adamas lines. Even if somebody here doesn't have something for you, they'll be watching their sources and will point you in the right direction. Welcome! I hear the banjo players are pretty scarry in your neck of the woods. |
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December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | Welcome Shelly,
The 1114 lefty looks like a good one to start with. One will probably not be enough.
Just ask "The Ol' Trader" |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Stupid Question #7:
If this is your first guitar (and I'm assuming you're "just learning"), why not learn how t'play "rightie" and make it easy on yourself on this and subsequent guitar purchases?? . . . |
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January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Shelly, one other advantage in starting off with something used but of decent quality is that in the event your interest in guitars should (heaven forbid) wane (which occasionally happens to beginners), or you go hog wild and start upgrading to even better quality models (which is what has happened to most of us), you may decide to part with it. When you do, you'll find that a good quality used guitar is more likely to retain its value over a new lesser quality guitar. This is an important consideration for some. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | Cliff's question isn't stupid. I'm not so sure that learning to play lefty is any easier for a lefty than learning to play righty. |
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January 2005
Posts: 161
Location: Atlanta GA | Shelly,
As a lefty I feel your pain. Go to the site below for Lefty Heaven.
http://www.southpawguitars.com |
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February 2008
Posts: 16
Location: Winchester, Kentucky | Thanks everybody for your input. To answer some of the posts:
ProfessorBB - Yes, the banjo players can be pretty scary in this neck of the woods, I happen to be married to one. LMAO! He's next to me right now pickin', and he's very scary looking at the moment as he just got out of bed.
cliff - I wish I could just play righty but I have tried to play my husband's righty banjo and do ok as a beginner to a point, but am very limited when it comes to the finger pickin' and rolls. The same thing happened to me when I've tried to fiddle around on my daughter's righty fiddle. I can do fairly well on the piano, my son's instrument of choice. I can play simple melodies on all, but can't really dig in on any. So, I have resigned myself to being a true lefty playing lefty.
As you can see, I have a musical family without a guitar player, and I'm just a Jill of all trades and master of none. (unless you count the clarinet, flute and piccalo I played in high school, but there's not much call for them in bluegrass lol)
As to all the posts on the 1114 on ebay, I'm watching it and am working on my husband. I'm in this for the long haul guys and am not above paying more for a really good guitar that may last me for my lifetime. I'd just really like to keep it under $1000, but may be tempted to wait a while and go over for a "lifetimer". I tend grow attached to things and keep them until they fall apart. (if you saw my husband, you'd believe me lmao)
Thanks for the great responses and keep them comin'! |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | ". . my husband's righty banjo . ."
I'm SO sorry. |
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February 2008
Posts: 747
| Looks like it sold for $373. What's the damn case worth, that's what I want to know..lol
Good luck on your search there Shelly if it wasn't you that bought it.
I was looking for a Les Paul once and we checked out a lot of them new in stores and used from private sellers etc. - no ebay then...lol
Anyway, I hadn't seen anything that I liked and then we went to this music shop in a small town; the only LP they had was some dog awful yellow/red sunburst deal that I wouldn't want to be buried with. I pulled er down and plugged er in; the guitar wanted to play jazz so I ran off a few riffs and my friend says to me that's the one you should buy.
So I guess my point is keep looking till you find something that speaks to you. |
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Joined:
February 2008
Posts: 16
Location: Winchester, Kentucky | Thanks Joe. After listening to the advice and info so freely given here and doing a little more researching, I decided that the 1114 just might have too wide a neck for me. I'll keep looking. It's just so hard finding a lefty. (scream) lol |
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December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | Shelly,
I'm left handed and play,(not that well), right handed. It can be done.
Also I have seen some pretty good lefty players who use a right hand guitar. It just makes the chords look weird. It also can create other problems with strumming and finger picking. |
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Newby & Lost Lefty in need of advice
